India and Ethiopia Seek to Strengthen Strategic Partnership

External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar arrives in Ethiopia for high-level talks to advance India-Ethiopia strategic ties, expand bilateral cooperation and strengthen engagement with African partners.

External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar arrived in Addis Ababa for the final leg of his three-nation African tour, with India and Ethiopia seeking to strengthen their strategic partnership and expand cooperation across key sectors.

Jaishankar arrived in Ethiopia from Cote d’Ivoire, following earlier engagements in Ghana. He was received at Bole International Airport by Ethiopian Foreign Affairs State Minister Berhanu Tsegaye, who welcomed the visit and expressed confidence that the discussions would help advance bilateral relations. Jaishankar said he looked forward to productive engagements aimed at taking the strategic partnership between the two countries forward.

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The visit is expected to feature high-level discussions on bilateral relations and opportunities to deepen cooperation in areas of mutual interest. According to India’s Ministry of External Affairs, the broader African tour focuses on trade and economic relations, development cooperation, capacity building, people-to-people ties and regional and global issues.

India and Ethiopia elevated their bilateral relationship to a strategic partnership during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Ethiopia in December 2025. The visit produced agreements and initiatives covering customs cooperation, the establishment of a data centre at Ethiopia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, United Nations peacekeeping training, debt restructuring and healthcare capacity building. India also announced an increase in scholarships for Ethiopian students and specialised short-term training in artificial intelligence under its Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation programme.

Defence cooperation has also emerged as an important component of the relationship. During the second India-Ethiopia Joint Defence Cooperation meeting in Addis Ababa on September 28, 2026, officials discussed military training, exercises, medical cooperation, peacekeeping and defence industries. Both sides agreed to explore joint ventures in defence production, personnel exchanges, delegation visits and experience-sharing initiatives.

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Jaishankar is also scheduled to chair a Regional Heads of Mission conference in Addis Ababa, bringing together Indian envoys serving across the region. The conference is expected to provide an opportunity to review regional developments and coordinate India’s diplomatic engagement with African countries.

The visit reflects India’s continuing efforts to strengthen partnerships across Africa through diplomatic engagement, economic cooperation, capacity building and defence collaboration. The upcoming discussions with Ethiopian leaders are expected to build on existing agreements and identify further opportunities to advance the bilateral strategic partnership.